Light bulbs have been manufactured in remote locations and shipped to distribution centers and retail stores for many years. Such light bulbs are generally packaged in a material that protects the bulb from damage, and at the same time, adds significant volume, cutting down the number of light bulbs that can be fit into a shipping container.
Some bulbs are encased in a rigid plastic which extends significantly in one or more directions beyond the shape of the bulb itself. Other bulbs may be packaged in cardboard, which may be corrugated, but generally has a three dimensional rectangular or cube shape. Since the bulbs are generally rounded, the packaging adds significant volume to the bulb, resulting in fewer bulbs that may be fit into a box or other container for efficient shipping. This can increase shipping costs significantly, as many shipping rates are based on the size of a container being shipped, such as standard shipping containers utilized on container based ships.
When the bulbs finally reach a retail outlet, individual bulbs with packaging, or multiple bulbs per package may be put on shelves or hung from hooks in the case of plastic packaging. Such packaging continues to contribute excess volume, resulting in less product being made available for purchase by the final consumer.